WMUK spring fund-raising goal up 15 percent

March 23, 2000

KALAMAZOO -- Radio station WMUK again will mark the change
of seasons with its annual Spring Fund-raiser, April 3-7.

The fund drive's goal this year is $115,000, a 15 percent rise
above last year's $100,000. The additional money is needed to
cover the rising costs of programming from National Public Radio
and Public Radio International and new equipment.

"It's the same situation as last fall," says Floyd
Pientka, the station's general manager. "But rather than
ask for all the money we need to cover rising costs, we split
it between the two campaigns so we weren't trying to get it all
in one fell swoop."

In October, the University's public radio station met its fall
campaign goal of $220,000 on the final day of on-air pledging
by posting its biggest one-day pledge total in station history.

On-air pledging for the Spring Fund-raiser is set for April
3-7 and will be cut short if the campaign goal is reached before
the final day.

"I'm hopeful we'll be able to end this one a bit early,"
Pientka says.

Listeners already have begun to send pledges. As of Friday,
March 17, the station had received 33 percent of the goal.

"So we're a third of the way there," Pientka says.
"We encourage people to send their pledges in early and already
people have started to do that."

Last spring, the station began on-air pledging with about 60
percent of the goal already reached.

"Another 25 percent will be needed to get us to where
we were last spring when on-air pledging started," Pientka
says. "It's good, at this point, to be 33 percent of the
way there."

People can mail checks to WMUK, Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo MI 49008, or visit the station's Web site at <www.wmuk.org>. For more information,
call Vickie Langkam at 616 387-5719.